Christmas Stilton & Red Cabbage

I prepared my Christmas Stilton yesterday. You need an empty Long Clawson Stilton pot and a full pot, which can be bought from Lidl for just under £4. I know it's expensive, but it's simply the yummiest Stilton around, despite being made from pasteurised milk - very umami. Also buy a couple of crappy Stiltons from Lidl - the Valley Spire stuff is adequate. Now empty the Long Clawson jar, leaving a bit in the bottom of it, then put some of the scooped out Long Clawson in the bottom of the empty jar. Slice up the Valley Spire Stilton and share it between the two Long Clawson pots, putting the remaining Long Clawson Stilton on top. Leave for a week (out of the fridge) and you'll end up with a couple of delicious pots of creamy Stilton.

I'll be doing my Dutch red cabbage later this week. A whole red cabbage, sliced thinly, a couple of medium onions, also sliced thinly, two or three apples, sliced thinly. Alternate layers in a slow cooker, add some red wine vinegar (a couple of good sloshes), some brown sugar (about a tablespoon of dark Muscavado), a few cloves (or ground cloves), cinnamon, nutmeg, a few bay leaves and a big dollop of butter. Slow cook for at least 12 hours on low, adding some sultanas in the last 4 hours. Add more vinegar, sugar or spices to adjust the taste, but you should end up with Christmas in a pot. If there's too much liquid, boil it down and add a bit of cornflour so it coats a spoon and makes the cabbage glossy.